Moving sailboat in reverse gear over some distance

kingfisher said:
There are downsides: steering will be compromised, if it is a tiller, you will need some muscle to controll it.

The main issue is your engine/shaft coupling; that is designed to push the boat, which pushes the shaft into the gearbox, which pushed into the engine. If your reverse; you are pulling on the shaft,; the shaft wants to pull out of the boat. Nothing dramatic, just take it slow and you'll be fine.

Also: people sailed on rivers, even narrow winding rivers. Sail with the headsail and when turn on the engine for the parts where you can't sail?
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And use of anchor to make the real tight turns etc.
 
Stemar said:
For two miles? Now that really is drudgery
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Two miles? Huh! That's nowt lad!

When the 19th century tea clippers completed loading at the Pagoda Anchorage, Mawei, on the Min River, China, they used to drudge downstream to the estuary; a distance of approximately 12 miles.

Then race home with their precious cargoes.

The first cargo home would command a very high price and the ship's captain would be awarded a prize
 
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Finding this thread v interesting a I use reverse gear so little,usually 1 quick burst to stop momentum as I approach my mooring bouy and that's about it so 2 miles seems alot.
For me I'd get a tow off a pal without a second thought for all the mental stress on you and physical/mechanical stress you'd be putting through the boat

Good luck!
 
scozzy said:
Finding this thread v interesting a I use reverse gear so little,usually 1 quick burst to stop momentum as I approach my mooring bouy and that's about it so 2 miles seems alot.
For me I'd get a tow off a pal without a second thought for all the mental stress on you and physical/mechanical stress you'd be putting through the boat

Good luck!
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Reversing under sail is even more fun.
 
I had exactly this problem last season after a new engine installation. The solution while still on the water was to release the propshaft in the flexible coupling and move it backwards about 1mm thus increasing the clearance between the rope cutter and the P-bracket. After lift-out at the end of the season I moved the rope cutter and re-positioned the prop shaft. I am assuming that this is not a sail drive.
David Morgan
 
You could trade it in for A Bavaria -I would happily back one if the water was warm but you can get a degree of spray into the cockpit once the revs are up but they have a wheel which I guess makes it doable at say 4 knots so a 30min trip . For a tiller boat any small rib with say a 6hp outboard can move it down a small river or across a harbour. On one occasion we were brought into Portsmouth harbour by rib alongside as they don’t like sailing into harbour due to traffic etc.
 
Refueler said:
Apologising to OP if I am wrong - but I get impression that OP may not be an expert under sail ... as he has already discounted sailing the 'winding channel' ...
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Whether you are right or not, setting off without a guaranteed means of arriving safely is just giving a hostage to fortune.
 
johnalison said:
Whether you are right or not, setting off without a guaranteed means of arriving safely is just giving a hostage to fortune.
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Guaranteed ? For me - I would plan for eventuality .. ie sail the channel - if I get stuck - then have gear on board to sit it out while deciding .. do I call for help .. do I get out the anchor and work anchor / sail (which is actually how I ended up doing it).

I let my pal take helm when in harbour and starting the HYCo channel - he chose to furl the genny and use the main ... we ran aground. We called another boat who was passing ... McGregor 26 ... who tried towing us but he just skitted about on the water .. so I asked if they would take my companions ashore and leave me onboard to wait out till next day to call HYCo for a tow in ..

I sat alone on board and decided to set anchor so I could curl up in a bag and go to sleep. Picking up the anchor - I decided to throw it out ... pull and see what happened. Boat moved ... I had anchor in hand again and this time threw it in direction to pull boat back to deeper water ... she did. Unfurl genny - sail a bit till touched ground again ... anchor thrown - pull ... genny .... anchor ... genny .... anchor .. genny ... till I was able to sail a reasonable amount of the HYCo channel ... then back to anchor - genny - anchor - genny etc.... finally managing to throw a line onto pontoon for a guy to make fast ... then I used that line to pull boat alongside ...

For those that know that channel it has two 'hairpin bends' in it with reversals etc. and is not a short distance.
 
Refueler said:
Guaranteed ? For me - I would plan for eventuality .. ie sail the channel - if I get stuck - then have gear on board to sit it out while deciding .. do I call for help .. do I get out the anchor and work anchor / sail (which is actually how I ended up doing it).

I let my pal take helm when in harbour and starting the HYCo channel - he chose to furl the genny and use the main ... we ran aground. We called another boat who was passing ... McGregor 26 ... who tried towing us but he just skitted about on the water .. so I asked if they would take my companions ashore and leave me onboard to wait out till next day to call HYCo for a tow in ..

I sat alone on board and decided to set anchor so I could curl up in a bag and go to sleep. Picking up the anchor - I decided to throw it out ... pull and see what happened. Boat moved ... I had anchor in hand again and this time threw it in direction to pull boat back to deeper water ... she did. Unfurl genny - sail a bit till touched ground again ... anchor thrown - pull ... genny .... anchor ... genny .... anchor .. genny ... till I was able to sail a reasonable amount of the HYCo channel ... then back to anchor - genny - anchor - genny etc.... finally managing to throw a line onto pontoon for a guy to make fast ... then I used that line to pull boat alongside ...

For those that know that channel it has two 'hairpin bends' in it with reversals etc. and is not a short distance.
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I’m not sure that the OP really desires that kind of idiocy. :ROFLMAO:
 
johnalison said:
Whether you are right or not, setting off without a guaranteed means of arriving safely is just giving a hostage to fortune.
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Life offers few guarantees, attempting a passage completely in astern when you’ve got a working rig and sails appears to be reducing one’s options and increasing the chance of failure!

And that’s before you unpick the badly fitted rope cutter situation…
 
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